REAL PEOPLE, REAL ISSUES

March 2008

March 31, 2008

Conversations Book Club & TRU Publishing are excited to announce the CONFIRMED DATES for upcoming "Hiphop & Books" Rallies that will be held throughout the United States. Hosted
by Cyrus A. Webb, the events will be to entertain lovers of hiphop as
well as promote the cause of reading across the country. At the end of
the day, Conversations & TRU want others to JOIN THE ADDICTION and get hooked on books!(Conversations Book Club President Cyrus A. Webb seen here with National Recording Artist/Mississippi native David Banner. Banner wrote the Foreword to the book Country Fried Soul: Adventures in Dirty South Hiphop by author Tamara Palmer.)

SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2008--- 1-5p.m. @ Smith Park in Downtown Jackson. Rally will include performances by Trill, G-Money, E of Causin' Drama Entertainment, Britt, Lil' Half Ounce, Ondrea Nicole and more! Concession-style food will be available as well as vendors on hand. ADMISSION FREE. For details, call 601.664.8805.

THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2008 --- 4-6P.M./ 7-9P.M. @ Quality Inn & Suites Arlington (1607
N. Watson Rd. * Arlington, TX 76006) Two rallies will be held featuring
recording artists (TBA) as well as information about the importance of
reading. $500 in new books will be given away at each rally to the most
represented school.

FRIDAY, MAY 23, 2008--- 4-6p.m./7-9p.m. @Quality Inn & Suites
(9041 Westheimer Road * Houston, TX 77063) Two rallies will be held
featuring recording artists (TBA) as well as information about the
importance of reading. $500 in new books will be given away at each
rally to the most represented school.

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 ---11-3p.m. / "2nd Annual All 4 One Statewide Book Club Meet & Greet".
This event is open to all book clubs and book lovers that are in the
state of Mississippi as well as chapters of Conversations Book Club
that meet all over the United States. Admission is free and you are
encouraged to bring your lunch for the break. Our special guests
include Bestselling auhors Electa Rome Parks and Diane Dorce'. Details, call 601.664.8805. http://www.hiphopandbooks.com

Violence Roils Black Funeral Parlors

CINCINNATI -- Clarence Glover has a surveillance
camera in the chapel of his funeral home. Joseph Garr sometimes carries
a revolver in his hearse. Carl Swann Jr. is contemplating leaving the
business. The three directors of black funeral parlors here have
been assaulted at services and each has had gunshots fired during
burials. Concealed-weapons, pre-funeral intelligence briefings,
cameras, panic buttons and armed security guards are becoming as much a
part of services as the eulogy. "I've been in this business 42 years and I'm jittery now," Mr. Glover says. Across the country, black morticians are changing the
way they operate. The reason: a spike in African-American murders --
and the violence that sometimes follows victims to the grave. In an
echo of more volatile parts of the world, such as Iraq and Afghanistan,
African-American morticians report seeing an increase in violent
behavior, and occasional killings, at funerals. The violation of the once-sacrosanct funeral is one
byproduct of a little-noticed upswing in the murder rate of
African-Americans. The number of blacks killed in America, mostly by
other blacks, has been edging up at a time when the rate for other
groups has been flat or falling. As a result, the black murder-victim toll exceeds that
of the far larger white population. According to the most recent
statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the number of
whites murdered dropped slightly, to 6,956 from 7,005 between 2004 and
2006. The number of blacks killed rose 11%, to 7,421 from 6,680. African-Americans, who make up 13% of the population,
have long had a higher homicide rate than other groups. And the total
number of black murders is still significantly lower than in the early
1990s, when the U.S. was hit by a wave of drug-related killings. At
that time, though, "funeral homes used to be the most respected places
you could walk into beside the church," says Jeff Gardner, a co-owner
of A.D. Porter & Sons in Louisville, Ky., and a third-generation
undertaker. "Nobody respects life and the young folks nowadays don't
mind dying." What worries law enforcement, criminologists and
sociologists is that there's no unifying theme to explain today's
increase. Some killings are drug related. Researchers trace others to a
glut of ex-felons re-entering society. Others correlate the rise in
murders to the lack of a proper education. Black funeral homes, long a fixture of
African-American communities, offer a stark perspective from which to
view the trend. There are no comprehensive statistics on assaults or
other crimes at funerals. And the violence has not touched all black
communities. Still, the topic has become a hot one in the industry. CONTINUE READING THIS ARTICLE

British hip-hop star Estelle is riding at the top of the charts for
another week, while Duffy's album Rockferry also holds on to the top
spot. American Boy, featuring Kanye West, is taken from Estelle's
second album, Shine, which features collaborations with artists
including Wyclef Jean and Mark Ronson. Last week saw Duffy, whose
soulful voice has drawn comparisons with Dusty Springfield, was knocked
off the number one position in the singles chart after five weeks.
Mercy dropped another place this week to number three.At number
two in the singles chart is Low by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain. Sam
Sparrow's single Black And Gold leaps to number four from 23, and 4
Minutes by Madonna, featuring Justin Timberlake, goes up two places to
five. Leona Lewis's song for Sport Relief, Better In Time, which
is a double A side with Footprints in the Sand, drops three places to
number six. Lewis's album Spirit remains at number four in the charts
this week. Last week, the X Factor winner became the first
British female solo artist to top the US pop chart in 21 years. The
22-year-old former receptionist from Hackney landed the Billboard Hot
100 chart number one with her ballad Bleeding Love. Nickelback's
Rockstar falls two places to number seven in the singles chart and
Chris Brown's With You goes up nine places to number eight. OneRepublic
drop five places to nine with Stop and Stare, while Alphabeat's
Fascination rises three places to number 10. The album chart sees
Panic at the Disco's Pretty Odd shoot straight in at number two.
Oxford's Foals are also a new entry at three with Antidotes. OneRepublic's
album Dreaming out Loud falls two places to number five and
Nickleback's All the Right Reasons goes up a place to six. Amy
Winehouse's Back to Black - the Deluxe Edition jumps a place to seven. Raconteurs'
Consolers of the Lonely is new in at eight and much-acclaimed
Guillemots are in at nine with Red. Devon's Muse spiral down eight
places from two to number 10 with Haarp. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

MTV is pulling out all the stops to
commemorate the 20th anniversary of its landmark series "Yo! MTV Raps"
next month across all of the company's platforms, reports Billboard.com. On MTV, the show "Sucker
Free" will transform into "Yo! MTV Raps," featuring classic videos
amidst the current hip hop video countdown. At the end of the month,
the cable network will air "Yo!" countdown shows, where the top moments
from the iconic program will be revealed. Artists scheduled to
participate in the special programming include Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover,
Andre "Dr. Dre" Brown and T-Money. On MTV.com, "Yo! MTV Raps"
will get its own hub, featuring artist interviews and giving the
historical context of the show in the development of hip hop.
Think.MTV.com, the network's activism site, will auction off a 12' x
15' canvas from the original "Yo! MTV Raps" set that has been signed by
various artists. MTV Mobile
will create themed episodes of their mobisodes, including "Sway's Hip
Hop Owner's Manual," "Hood Fab," "Dances From The Hood" and "How to
Show." SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Nelly fans can circle June 24th on the
calendar for the release of his long-delayed fifth studio album "Brass
Knuckles" from Universal.
The set's first single,
"Party People" featuring Fergie, is already gaining radio airplay well
before its May 15 add date. And the album track "Wadsyaname" appeared
on the Billboard Hot 100 back in September, debuting at a career-best
No. 43.
The track list is still
coming together, reports Billboard.com, but so far Nelly has recorded
songs with Ciara, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Akon and LL Cool J. Missing from the list is Bruce Springsteen, whom Nelly was attempting to work with on a track.
"I was really trying to get
The Boss, but The Boss is all over the world," Nelly told The
Associated Press on the orange carpet at Saturday's Kids Choice Awards.
"It didn't really work out. I know he's interested in doing it. And I'm
interested in doing it."
"We still might get a chance to get it off," Nelly said. "We're saving it. We might repackage it for the holidays." SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Find Out the Hippest Spots for the Wealthy in Manhattan, Milan and even Dubai
Looking for love -- or just a night out -- among the jet set? If you want to mingle with the rich and single you have to know where
they are -- and when they're there. As the seasons change, so do their
hangouts -- and, like the economy, this party is global. Bars and restaurants are the stage but not necessarily the
draw. Many of the hottest destinations have earned their place on the
circuit because of a local cultural event -- say, a charity
fund-raiser, fashion show, sporting contest or art festival. Others
just have a certain je ne sais quoi.Manhattan is always a good bet for scaring up the well-heeled and
unattached. Better yet, says David Patrick Columbia, editor of New York Social Diary, an online publication chronicling New York society, the upper crust is easier to crack there than in many other cities. "I think the reason young people come to New York is because it's the
city of opportunity and the city of opportunity socially," he says.
"Most of the people who are on the tippy-top [of the social ladder]
weren't always there. You can make anything of your life [in
Manhattan]."

Sean Levert, son of O'Jays lead singer Eddie Levert, was found dead in a Cleveland, Ohio, jail over the weekend, sources said. Sean Levert, 39, was being held for allegedly failing to pay about
$80,000 in child support. The cause of death was not immediately known. Sean Levert was a member of the R&B group LeVert with his
late brother Gerald Levert and Marc Gordon. Gerald Levert died Nov. 10,
2006 at the age of 40. Sean Levert had recently completed an album with Gordon, sources said. Sean Levert appeared in the movies Dope Case Pending (2000) and New Jack City (1991). Often with the death of any celebrity, rumors have been making its rounds fast and furious. Initially,
it was reported that Sean was found dead in a Cleveland jail where he
was being held for back child support in the amount of about $80,000.
Now, come to find out, that while Sean did collapse at the jail,
according to the warden of the jail as reported by TMZ.com, he was rushed to the hospital where he died. The cause of death is still unknown and is being investigated by the Coroner. May God bring peace and comfort to a family in need of spiritual healing and understanding. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

March 30, 2008

March 29, 2008

The division of the world's peoples into distinct groups - "red,"
"black," "white" or "yellow" peoples - has became so deeply imbedded in
our psyches, so widely accepted, many would promptly dismiss as crazy
any suggestion of its falsity. Yet, that's exactly what this
provocative, new three-hour series by California Newsreel claims. Race - The Power of an Illusion
questions the very idea of race as biology, suggesting that a belief in
race is no more sound than believing that the sun revolves around the
earth. Yet race still matters. Just because race doesn't exist
in biology doesn't mean it isn't very real, helping shape life chances
and opportunities.

Episode 1- The Difference Between Us
examines the contemporary science - including genetics - that
challenges our common sense assumptions that human beings can be
bundled into three or four fundamentally different groups according to
their physical traits.

Episode 2- The Story We Tell
uncovers the roots of the race concept in North America, the 19th
century science that legitimated it, and how it came to be held so
fiercely in the western imagination. The episode is an eye-opening tale
of how race served to rationalize, even justify, American social
inequalities as "natural."

Episode 3- The House We Live In
asks, If race is not biology, what is it? This episode uncovers how
race resides not in nature but in politics, economics and culture. It
reveals how our social institutions "make" race by disproportionately
channeling resources, power, status and wealth to white people.

By asking, What is this thing called 'race'?, a question so basic it is rarely asked, Race - The Power of an Illusion
helps set the terms that any further discussion of race must first take
into account. Ideal for human biology, anthropology, sociology,
American history, American studies, and cultural studies.

Episodes are also available individually on VHS cassette by clicking below!

March 28, 2008

Filmmaker Daphne Valerius takes a stark look at the
relationship between media images and the self-esteem of African
American women in her moving documentary The Souls of Black Girls.
Here, she shares the purpose behind her passion, and thoughts on what
it takes for us all to start loving what we see in the mirror.Q: What made you name your film, The Souls of Black Girls?
The title “The Souls of Black Girls” derives from the seminal book by
W.E.B Dubois “The Souls of Black Folks” where he discusses the
double-consciousness condition where there is a duality of being a
Negro and an American in the United States. I was inspired and
intrigued by this concept when I was first introduced to it and I was
inspired to name my piece, The Souls of Black Girls because I attempt
to expand upon the duality of people of color but I wanted to include
gender within that very same concept presented by Dubois. So I’ve
chosen to expand on the idea that as Black women we have a “triple
consciousness” condition where we have to be a Negro, a woman and an
American and within that identity we also struggle to define our own
standard of beauty.Q: When did you find that film making could be your “voice” to speak out or express yourself?
This piece was done as a journalistic broadcast piece and so when given
the opportunity to focus and concentrate on one area to develop my
final master’s thesis I chose to focus on this topic and issue building
upon research that I conducted as a Ronald McNair Scholar on this very
same topic. So I found my “voice” by during my studies as a graduate
student of Broadcast Journalism at Emerson College.Q: A documentary of this poignancy is much needed in today’s
oversaturated culture of bling and booty. When did you get to the point
where you decided to do something about what we see on the screen and
in the magazines?
This piece actually came about as a result of my own insecurities
growing up as a young black girl in our culture and society. For me I
was always very much “into” media images and entertainment as an
aspiring performer but I always felt very much invisible and uncertain
of myself as a result of not seeing a reflection of those who look like
me in magazines, advertisements, or television and of the women of
color that looked like me there were few. And in my youth I can say
that I felt very much like Pecola Breedlove of Toni Morrison’s “The
Bluest Eye” to a certain degree. So for me in putting together this
documentary, it was very much a selfish exploration of my own feelings
and understanding how and why I was influenced by media images. But
also realizing that this can’t just be me and so as I was in search of
trying to answer these questions of myself I was also hoping to foster
open and honest dialogue among women because I knew it wasn’t just “me.”Q: The documentary includes interviews from some of the most
intelligent and passionate voices of our community; most
importantly—voices that work directly in the media in some form (film,
print, television, etc). How did you decide on who all to include
and/or interview?
I can honestly say that God decided for me who would be included in
this piece. But it also came as a result of relationships that I had
built over the years. Chuck D was the very first individual attached to
this piece. I had a relationship with both Chuck D and Regina King
prior to me putting together this piece and so I simply asked if they
would be interested in being a part of this piece and God took care of
the rest. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

The evolution of Showtime's
grand costume drama, "The Tudors," has taken a remarkable turn in
Season 2: It gets a whole lot better when it was already very good. The familiar story of England's King Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys
Meyers) and his all-encompassing, dangerous lust for Anne Boleyn
(Natalie Dormer) was the jumping-off point for Season 1 of "The
Tudors." It allowed screenwriter Michael Hirst to create a series based
on the early years of Henry, much the way he did for both of his
feature films, "Elizabeth" and "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." By catching Henry in his formative years, Hirst was able to make him
virile and emotionally vibrant, breaking from the stereotype of the
older, fatter, more vicious king. But it also allowed Hirst to deliver
unto Showtime a mostly meaty, and deliciously sexy costume drama. And
it worked. The series was a huge audience draw for Showtime and it
emboldened the channel to ask for more. Once Rhys Meyers was onboard,
despite a thriving film career, everything took off for Season 2. Of course, there were still some critical snickers that "The Tudors"
in Season 1 lacked gravitas, that it was devoted to the fashion and
sexuality of the period and less to the dramatic heft and historical
details. Not that there's anything wrong with that - Rhys Meyers was
absolutely riveting in every scene, and Joan Bergin won an Emmy for
costume design (a feat she's likely to repeat, given the magnificent,
leap-off-the-screen costumes in Season 2).Perhaps some revisionist
criticism will come Hirst's way after Season 2, because his efforts in
the freshman season now have more clarity. Henry essentially stumbled
into the crown when his brother died, which Hirst played up with sex
and scandals, aptly using Rhys Meyers and Co. But it spoke to a
less-serious Henry. In the early part of Season 1, the king is easily
shaped by those in the court, particularly Cardinal Wolsey. The
emphasis then was on Henry's much freer spirit. He and best friend
Charles Brandon (Henry Cavill) are like two good-looking rich kids
having the party of a lifetime: booze, food and girls everywhere, with
some jousting and other sports thrown in. And when things get a little
slow, some rabble-rousing with neighboring countries. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

The sun splashed onto the roof of a church, filling the faces of two
golden statues of angels who opened their arms to the sky. It was the
first light of the morning, which made everything look pretty, even the
hardened heart of South Los Angeles. Don't be fooled, said 50-year-old Darrell Pruitt, waving a crooked
cautionary finger. He walked down Central Avenue, carrying a dripping
cup of coffee back to his one-room apartment, as he does each morning
before work.
"All the stuff that's hiding," he called over his shoulder, "it'll all come out." He was right. Before long, a pile of thin blankets atop an abandoned
couch began to stir. A homeless man, 83 years old, wiped the sleep from
his filthy face, stretched his good arm and rubbed his shrunken,
arthritic one. He hauled himself over a rusty fence to start his day,
his sandals crunching on a bed of cheap discarded lighters, their
silver tops popped off so they could be used for smoking crack. The hair stylist arrived at work, pleasantly surprised that gangs had
not, as they do two or three times a week, tagged the white walls of
her salon with black paint. The pastor sprinkled a rack of ribs with
paprika; he'd sell them at cost a few hours later, hoping to help a few
hungry people get at least one solid meal that day. Two men with mean
eyes stepped behind a dumpster, shot up, urinated and emerged again,
one of them cursing madly. It has been a month and a day since a gunman opened fire on two men
stepping off a bus at the corner of Central and Vernon avenues. He
missed his targets, as far as investigators can determine, but hit
eight other people, all innocents. They included five kids, students
walking home from George Washington Carver Middle School. Police have
charged Billy Ray Hines, 24, with the crime.Mario Martinez, 46, was in his girlfriend's Vernon Avenue bakery, the
Panaderia Zeragoza, where he sweeps the stoop every morning, when he
heard the shots."I ran down there. We all did," he said. "I saw a boy still sitting on
the bus stop bench. He was not hit but he could not move. He was too
scared. There was a lady at his feet, lying on the floor. Lots of
blood." Somehow, no one was killed. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

March 27, 2008

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Washington State hoped for a slow, plodding, defensive game against North Carolina in its N.C.A.A. tournament East Region semifinal. The Cougars got what they wanted. Their plan was to limit Tar Heels power forward Tyler Hansbrough, a national player of the year candidate. Done.But for all their efforts, the Cougars were hammered anyway, 68-47, Thursday night at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.That is how daunting top-seeded North Carolina is right now. Hansbrough,
held to 2 points in the first half, finished with a game-high 18 as the
Tar Heels set a university record with their 35th victory of the
season. Danny Green came off the bench to score 15, including 12 in the
first half, which ended with North Carolina leading, 35-21. Aron Baynes
and Derrick Low had 14 points to lead the fourth-seeded Cougars.“They
played really good defense,” Green said. “They slowed the ball down. I
think we started getting going a little bit, getting out and pressuring
them defensively, got some stops running them. I think we started to
get in a little rhythm and get some easy baskets for ourselves.” North
Carolina (35-2), which has won 14 games in a row, will play Saturday
against third-seeded Louisville. Saturday’s winner will advance to the
Final Four next weekend in San Antonio. Still, this was not the game North Carolina wanted to play. After
scoring more than 100 points in their first two tournament games, the
Tar Heels faced a Washington State team that had allowed an average of
40.5 points in its two tournament victories. “Defensively, we
played them really good, although we missed some shots as well,” North
Carolina Coach Roy Williams said, adding, “We were struggling putting
the ball in the basket, but I felt we were O.K.” But it was not
easy for the Tar Heels. Washington State slowed their offense and
Hansbrough in the first half. Yet North Carolina still took a 14-point
lead at the intermission, relying on the rest of its potent lineup to
carry the scoring load. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

PHOENIX — All season long, Xavier Coach Sean Miller and the university
bristled at the notion of their basketball program being described as a
midmajor. Midmajor, a term reserved for colleges outside the six power
conferences, hints at smaller budgets, fewer television appearances and
inferior players.But in their run to the Round of 8 in the N.C.A.A. tournament, the Musketeers have made a case more convincing than any coach’s plea.The
third-seeded Musketeers jumped out to an 18-point first- half lead over
West Virginia on Thursday night, lost a 2-point lead in the last 14.5
seconds of regulation, trailed by 6 points in overtime but finally
outlasted the seventh-seeded Mountaineers, 79-75, in the West Region
semifinals.The backup forward B. J. Raymond hit two 3-point
shots in the final 1 minute 22 seconds to seal the victory. All 8 of
his points were scored in overtime.The Musketeers have a
chance to reach the Final Four for the first time in their history, but
to get there they will have to defeat No. 1 U.C.L.A. on Saturday.“We found a way to win in a fantastic game,” Miller said. “We’re very thankful to be moving on and excited as well.” SOURCE OF THIS STORY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Now that Bruce Pearl has turned Tennessee into an
elite program in three seasons, the Volunteers are eager to take the
next step. “It’s basically about making history now,” forward Duke Crews told
reporters in Knoxville earlier this week, repeating a theme for the
team this year. But as Louisville proved Thursday night,
Tennessee still has some history to overcome before the Vols can
contend for a national title. As for the Cardinals, they are hoping to
repeat a bit of their own recent history.With a 79-60 victory in the N.C.A.A. tournament East Region semifinal at Charlotte Bobcats
Arena, Louisville advanced to the Round of 8 on Saturday. The
third-seeded Cardinals (27-8) will play No. 1 North Carolina in the
East Region final, the winner advancing to the Final Four next weekend
in San Antonio. Louisville last went that far in 2005, the year North
Carolina won the national title. Earl Clark came off he bench to
produce a double-double for Louisville with 17 points and 12 rebounds,
one of five players to score in double figures as the Cardinals held
off a second-half rally. The second-seeded Vols, trailing by 7 at the
half, opened with a 6-0 run in the second half to pull within 37-36.
But Louisville used a 12-2 run to re-establish control and take a 49-36
lead with about 13 minutes 30 seconds left in the game.Tennessee
kept within range, but never made it a tight game again. Chris Lofton
had 15 points and JaJuan Smith added 12 points to lead the Vols (31-5). SOURCE OF THIS STORY

PHOENIX -- Sloppy play by UCLA and some hot shooting by Western
Kentucky guard Tyrone Brazelton and what had been a rout was turning
into a close game tonight in a West Regional semifinal at the U.S.
Airways Center. Brazelton made four consecutive free throws and a pair of NBA-distance
three-points in a span of a little more than two minutes and the
Hilltoppers had trimmed what had been a 21-point halftime deficit to
six, 65-59, with a little more than five minutes to play.Only the play of James Keefe kept the Bruins in the lead. The sophomore
forward from Santa Margarita had the crowd at US. Airways Center
cheering his every move -- and there were many of them -- and chanting
his name as he spurred the Bruins. In Keefe, whose career-high before tonight was eight points, has 14 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. But the Bruins were forced to play the last 5:39 without point guard Darren Collison, who fouled out. UCLA led Western Kentucky, 41-20, at halftime but the Hilltoppers climbed back into contention fueled by Bruins turnovers. Early on, the game looked to be a rout as a three-point baseline jumper
by the Hilltoppers Tyrone Brazelton forged a 13-13 tie barely eight
minutes into the game, but it was all Bruins after that. UCLA scored the next 10 points and then seven more unanswered points after two free throws by Western Kentucky's C.J. Anderson. Meantime, Western Kentucky missed its next 12 shots and committed four
turnovers before Jeremy Evans scored on a layup with four minutes left
in the half. But by then UCLA led, 30-17.
Western Kentucky shot six of 32 in the half compared to 16 of 31 by
UCLA, which got scoring contributions from six players. The game started with Kevin Love and Darren Collison scoring the Bruins
first six points. They combined to score 40 of the Bruins' 51 points in
a second-round victory over Texas A&M last Saturday, but they soon
had help. Josh Shipp and Russell Westbrook -- both coming off horrible shooting
performances in last week's regional at Anaheim -- each had eight.
James Keefe had seven off the bench.
Brazelton had six points to pace Western Kentucky (29-6), which has
lost only one game by more than six points this season. Courtney Lee,
the Hilltoppers' 20-points-a-game scorer, was held to five on two of 13
shooting. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper T.I. was expected to plead guilty Thursday to
federal weapons charges and will face prison time, according to two
people familiar with his case. The 27-year-old singer, whose real
name is Clifford Harris, was expected to be sentenced to 1,500 hours of
community service talking to youth groups around the country, followed
by about 12 months in prison, according to two people familiar with the
negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because the plea deal
had not been finalized yet Thursday morning. His prison time
could be increased or reduced, depending on his fulfillment of the
terms of the deal and good behavior, they said. His talks to youth
groups are supposed to be about the pitfalls of guns, gangs and drugs. The
U.S. Attorney in Atlanta announced a change-of-plea hearing was
scheduled Thursday afternoon at the federal courthouse. Prosecution
officials were expected to speak to the media after the hearing. U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. must approve the deal. Harris was arrested Oct. 13, just blocks away and hours before he was to headline the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta. He
was charged with possession of unregistered machine guns and silencers,
as well as possession of firearms by a convicted felon. He faced a
maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. Harris
was allegedly trying to buy unregistered machine guns and silencers. He
initially pleaded not guilty, and has been under house arrest since he
was released on $3 million bond Oct. 26. He is co-CEO of Grand Hustle Records and one of Atlantic Records' most successful artists. Harris
grew up in Atlanta. His first taste of success came with his 2003
album, "Trap Muzik." In 2004, warrants were issued for his arrest on
probation violations for a drug conviction, and he was sentenced to
three years behind bars. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Since her solo self-titled album debut in 2006, CHOKLATE
has become the newest fetish amongst her peers and soul connoisseurs
alike, captivating fans, DJs, tastemakers and producers around the
globe. In the span of 2 short years, CHOKLATE
set her largely unexpected singing career in motion using sheer drive,
determination, instinct and hard work. As her debut album was selling
out on popular websites and in popular retail outlets across the
country, CHOKLATE was busy making live
performance rounds to allow fans to get up close and personal with
her. Having performed in US cities such as Atlanta, New York, Seattle,
Norfolk, Detroit, Los Angeles, D.C., Boston, St. Louis, Dallas and most
recently Austin, Texas, CHOKLATE is set to make her European solo debut this spring. On Thursday April 24th Amplified UK will present CHOKLATE live in London for a one night only intimate acoustic evening. CHOKLATE
will offer her UK audience an acoustic ‘unplugged' performance,
stepping slightly away from her signature 6-piece band presentation.
Stripping down her stage for this one night only UK engagement will
allow CHOKLATE to reach her audience without boundaries and enable her to reveal the essence of her music and lyrics to the core. CHOKLATE will be accompanied on acoustic guitar by British guitarist Ciaran Fahy to present songs from her debut album with personal warmth and with re-interpreted musical nuances throughout the night. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

September 2012

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